Chainless bicycle



No. e|2',3:5. .Patentedflct u, [898.

m. J. DURAN.

CHAINLESS BICYCLE.

(Application filed Dec. 31,-1897.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

A Ljazgfor THE mums PETERS coy. PNOYQLIYHOmV/ASHINGTON u c Patented Oct.II, 1898.

m. .1. DURAN. CHI-UNLESS BICYCLE.

(Application filed Dec. 31, 1897.)

2 Sheets-Sheet (No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

MAURICE J. DORAN, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

CHAINLESS BICYCLE;

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 612,315, dated October11, 1898.

Application filed December 31, 1897. Serial No. 664,985. (No model.)

To all whom; it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MAURICE J. DORAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York,have invented a new and useful Chainless Bicycle, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in chainless bicycles; and one ofthe objects that I have in view is to provide an improvedpropelling-gear in which the parts are arranged to bring. thepedal-cranks directly beneath the seat-post and saddle to avoid lostmotion and enable the rider to apply power directly to the cranks and tothe best advantage.

A further object is to render the gear noiseless in action and at thesame time to so mount or support the parts as to reduce friction andwear to a minimum and thereby promote the durability and service of themachine.

A further object is to provide an improved propelling-gearing having itsparts arranged compactly with a View to reducing the length of thebicycle.

With these ends in view my invention consists in the novel combinationand construction of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described andclaimed.

To enable others to understand the invention, I have illustrated thepreferred embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification, and in which- Figure l is a side view of somuch of a bicycle as is necessary for an understanding of my inventionand showing the improved propelling-gearing applied thereto. Fig. 2 is ahorizontal longitudinal sectional view on the plane indicated by thedotted line a a of Fig.

1. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional viewcorresponding parts in eachof the several figures of the drawings.

1 indicates the frame of a bicycle, which in all substantial respectsexcept as to the rear fork is similar to the frames of ordinarysafety-bicycles. I have constructed the rear fork 2 of the bicycle-framein a manner to support the various working parts of thepropolling-gearing, and each side or member of said rear fork is oftrussed construction to render the same as light as possible consistentwith the necessary strength and durability to stand the strain andsupport the various elements of the propelling-gearing in properrelation to each other. The members 3 t of the rear fork are joinedtogether at the crown in any suitable way to enable the same to beattached to the seat-post socket and the lower reach of thebicycle-frame, and each member of said rear fork has an annulus or openring 5 and a supporting-bearing 6. The annulus or open ring 5constitutes a bearing for one of the master-gears, while thesupporting-bearing 6 receives the fixed journal of one of theintermediate idler-pinions. Said annular bearing 5 is grooved orchanneled interiorly to provide a raceway 7 for the ballbearings of onemaster-gear, as will presently appear.

8 9 represent the master-gears, which are journaled in the annularbearings 5 of the rear fork 2 at points opposite to each other, and eachmaster-gear is equipped with a pedal-crank which is rigidly attached tosaid master-gear for the purpose of rotating the same within itsbearing. Each master-gear is formed with a laterally-extended hub orplate 10, the periphery of which is curved or inclined to form in part araceway, and rigid or integral with this hub or face-plate of themaster-gear is a short crank-shaft 12. The inclined periphery of the hubor face-plate of the master-gear is flanged to receive a cone 13, whichis attached directly to said mastergear in any suitable way, and oneface of this cone 13 is shaped reversely to the peripheral edge 11 ofthe master-gear hub or face-plate 10, so that the cone and theperipheral edge 11 form a raceway which when the mastergear and cone areproperly fitted to the an-' nular bearing 5 lies opposite to and withinthe raceway of said annular bearing. Within raceways and bearings ofsaid master-gear.

of the rear wheel.

The pedal-cranks are indicated at 15 and the pedals at 16. Thepedal-cranks are attached in any suitable way to the short crankshafts12 of the master-gears and the cranks and pedals are of any suitable orpreferred construction familiar to those skilled in the art.

The master-gears mesh with the intermediate idler-gears 17 18, and thedriving-pinions 19 20 in turn mesh with said intermediate gears 17 18.The intermediate gear 17 and the driving-pinion 19 on one member of therear fork form the operative connection between one master-gear 8 andthe rear hub 21, while the other idler-gear 18 and drivingpinion 20constitute the operative connection between the other master-gear 9 andsaid hub It will thus be seen that I have provided two sets of gearing,supported on the respective members or sides of the rear frame-fork, andthat one set of gears,with its pedal-crank, is entirely independent ofthe other set of gearing and pedal-crank. The gears forming one set onone side of the machine are supported on the frame-fork, so that theircenters are in the same horizontal plane, and the cranks of the twomaster-gears are arranged at right angles to each other in the ordinaryway to enable the rider to apply power to the propelling-gearing to goodadvantage.

The rear wheel has its hub 21 mounted in the usual or any preferred wayon the nonrotatable axle 22, supported suitably in the rear extremitiesof the fork 2.

consists of a toothed rawhide annulus and a metallic bearing therefor.The rawhide annulus 23 of each intermediate idler-pinion is provided onits peripheral edge with a series of gear-teeth adapted to mesh with oneof the master-gears and with one of the driving-pinions on therear-wheel hub, andthis toothed rawhide annulus is clamped rigidly inplace to the face-plate 24 by the screws 2i, which pass through theannulus and into the faceplate to rigidly join the face-plate and therawhide annulus in fast firm relation to each other. The face-plate 24of each composite idler-pinion has a metallic hub 25, which extendsthrough the rawhide annulus, and said metallic hub 25 is provided withan interior groove or channel 26, forming one of the raceways for theball-bearings of said composite intermediate pinion. The pinion issupported in position on the rear fork by a fixed journal 27, which isattached to the supportingbearings 6 of the fork 2 in any suitable way,and said journal 27 is provided with the cones 28, arranged on saidjournal to provide the raceway 29 opposite to the raceway 26 in the hubof the composite idler-pinion. One of the cones, 28, of the fixedjournal 27 is attached to or made integral with said journal to occupy afixed position thereon, while the other cone, 28, is adjustable on saidfixed journal 27 toward or from the fixed cone thereon to take up thewear between the working parts of the bearing for the idler-pinion. Theraceway 29, provided by the cones 28, is within and immediately oppositeto the raceway 26 in the metallic hub of the composite pinion, and insaid raceways are fitted the ball-bearings 30, which support thecomposite idlerpinion in a manner to reduce friction and wear on itsjournal 27.

The driving-pinions 19 20 are attached to the hub of the rear wheel inany suitable way, and in one embodiment of my invention I provide tworight and left hand threads on the respective ends of the rear hub 21 toenable the pinions 19 20 to be screwed firmly to the said hub.

To protect the sets of gearing forming part of the propelling mechanism,I employ the casings 31. Each casing is constructed to inclose themaster-gear, the idler-pinion, and the drive-pinion of one set of thegearing on ,one side of the axial line of the bicycle, and

said casin g is attached by screws 32 to a member of the rear fork 2.The casing may be constructed of sheet metal or any other suitablematerial and be attached removably to the fork for the purpose ofpermitting access to the gearing whenever desired. Said casing inclosesthe gearing practically on all sides thereof to prevent the lodgment ofdust and dirt in the teeth of the several gears, and it also affords aprotection against the dresses of lady riders being caught in the teethof the intermeshing gears.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings,it will be seen that I have provided an improved propelling mechanism inwhich the pedal-cranks are arranged substantially in the vertical planeor line of the seat-post and the saddle, thereby enabling the rider toapply power to the pedalcranks without lost motion. The several membersof the gear are arranged compactly with relation to each other, and suchconstruction and arrangement of parts is important, in that provision ismade for shortening the length of the rear fork, thereby enabling therear Wheel to be brought closer to the front wheel and reducing theaggregate length of the bicycle from eight to twelve inches shorter thanthe bicycles of ordinary construction. The several gears forming partsof my improved mechanism are mounted so that the wear due to friction onthe working parts may be taken up by proper adjustment of the bearingsfor the mastergear and idler-pinions, and by employing a compositeconstruction for the idler-pinions I am enabled to reduce the noise dueto the gears intermeshing with each other, thus producing practically anoiseless and chainless propelling mechanism for bicycles.

It is evident that slight changes in the form, proportions of parts, andin the details of construction may be made without departing from thespirit or sacrificing the advantages of my invention.

In the practical construction of the mastergear I prefer to attach thecone 13 to its faceplate by screwing the cone in place, and, as shown byFig. 7, this adjusting-cone is provided at its inner face with a seriesof radial notches 35, into which take one or more screws 36, (see Fig.3,) mounted in the hub of the master-gear to hold the cone securely inplace.

In Fig. 6 of the drawings I have represented the casing 31 as dividedlongitudinally on a transverse horizontal line to form the sections 3233, which are coupled together detachably by interlocking devices 34:,so that the casing-sections may be detached and removed for ready accessto the gears.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is 1. A bicyclepropelling-gear comprising a rear fork having the annularbearing5 formedwith an internal raceway, a master-gearprovided with the offstandingface-plate having a beveled outer edge and a threaded inner edge, anadjusting cone screwed into the threaded edge of the face-plate andforming,

with the beveled edge of said plate, a raceway which is opposed to theraceway of the annular bearing, the bearing-balls confined within theraceways, an idler-gear supported in said fork and meshing with themastergear, and the hub-gear in mesh with the idlergear, substantiallyas described.

2. In a bicycle propelling-gear, the combination with a frame-forkhaving an open hearing, 5, formed with a raceway,of the mastergearhaving its face-plate provided with a central stub-shaft and fitted atits circumference in the bearing, 5, an adj ustingcone screwed into thecircumferential edge of the face-plate to form therewith a raceway oppowposite to the raceway of the bearing and said cone having the radialnotches, 35, at its inner edge, the screws passing through themaster-gear to engage with the notched edge of the adjustable cone, theball-bearings, 7, a driven gear on the rear-wheel hub, and anidler-pinion between the masterear and the driving-gear, substantiallyas described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signaturein the presence of two witnesses.

MAURICE J. DORAN. VVitn esses MORRISON I-I. MOMATH, MAGULER BUTLER.

